Electrically-insulative hinge for electrosurgical jaw assembly, bipolar forceps including same, and methods of jaw-assembly alignment using fastened electrically-insulative hinge

A bipolar forceps, comprising:

• a housing;
• a shaft extending from the housing and including a distal end configured to support an end effector assembly;
• the end effector assembly including:
• opposing jaw members pivotably mounted with respect to one another, each of the jaw members including a sealing surface associated therewith, the jaw members moveable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the sealing surfaces cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween;
• and
• an electrically-insulative hinge including at least one pivot-hole locator having an aperture defined therein, the electrically-insulative hinge attached to one of the jaw members such that the aperture of the at least one pivot-hole locator aligns with a pivot hole defined in the opposing jaw member, wherein the electrically-insulative hinge is configured to electrically isolate the jaw members from one another.

A method of manufacturing an end effector assembly, comprising the steps of;

• providing a first jaw member;
• providing a second jaw member including at least one pivot hole defined therethrough;
• providing an electrically-insulative hinge including at least one pivot-hole locator defined therein;
• attaching the electrically-insulative hinge to the first jaw member such that the at least one pivot-hole locator aligns with the at least one pivot hole of the second jaw member;
• and
• pinning the first and second jaw members via the at least one pivot-hole locator and the at least one pivot hole such that the first and second jaw members are pivotably mounted with respect to one another.

A method of manufacturing an end effector assembly, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first jaw member;
• providing a second jaw member including at least one pivot hole defined therethrough;
• providing an electrically-insulative hinge including at least one pivot-hole locator defined therein;
• attaching the electrically-insulative hinge to the first jaw member such that the at least one pivot-hole locator aligns with the at least one pivot hole of the second jaw member;
• providing a fixture configured to releaseably hold the first jaw member in contact with the second jaw member;
• providing a pivot pin;
• coupling the fixture to the first and second jaw members;
• and
• inserting the pivot pin into the at least one pivot holes and the at least one pivot-hole locator such that the first and second jaw members are pivotably mounted with respect to one another.